I sometimes wonder if it'd be worth buying a car with a category N warning, they are certainly cheaper at auction. But i'd need to know about insurance costs, and can imagine they'd be high. Anybody know for sure?
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As I understand it some insurance companies load them, some don't and some refuse to insure, so check around first
I've heard this too, I believe it's anything 10 years or older. I've also heard that if any airbags deploy they instantly write them off regardless of age as they are quite costly to replace. My sister's 19 reg Golf R (such a boring car to drive
) got rear ended a few months back, on the outside it didn't look too bad, rear bumper, a slight crease in the nearside rear 1/4 panel etc but the main damage was to the rear suspension as it had moved forward on impact, anyway the insurance sent it to VW for the repairs & along the way the insurance were keeping my sister updated with parts & what the parts were costing them etc, the rear wheel had to be replaced which was an astonishing £1,100 
just for one rim without a tyre as being the R version it has diamond cut rims. The parts prices along with labour from VW came very close to writing the car off & the insurance stated to my sister that when they were adding up all the cost of repairing the car & they got to their grand total one more thing would have declared it a write off.
Did my move from Surrey to Cheshire last weekend, I'm staying with family temporarily until I sort things out as my best mate is joining me up here eventually so started to settle in & sorted a couple of little things on the Seicento, 1st thing was I noticed the clutch pedal had dropped slightly overtime so a few minutes adjusting the cable has now sorted it out & all is as it should be, 2nd thing was I looked through the service history & noticed she hadn't had a set of spark plugs since 2018, although she hadn't done many miles since they were changed 6 years ago I started to notice a little corrosion on the plugs so I decided some preventative maintenance was the best thing to do & change them just to be on the safe side rather than leaving them & having them seizing to the head. She had standard NGK plugs which I'm generally not a huge fan of NGK plugs & with winter approaching I decided to upgrade slightly, I got Denso W20TT plugs which are twin tipped as I had a 20% code for eBay so they only cost me £9.60 delivered. Fitted them this morning, it's a little fiddly on the Seicento with wiring etc but I took my time as I didn't want to cross thread them & got them done then went for a drive which was a success, she's running a lot better 
, just oil & filter change now
, just oil & filter change nowCurious about why anti NGK, in the past I have used Esso,Champion, Unipart, Bosch,NipponDenso,Lodge and others.Did my move from Surrey to Cheshire last weekend, I'm staying with family temporarily until I sort things out as my best mate is joining me up here eventually so started to settle in & sorted a couple of little things on the Seicento, 1st thing was I noticed the clutch pedal had dropped slightly overtime so a few minutes adjusting the cable has now sorted it out & all is as it should be, 2nd thing was I looked through the service history & noticed she hadn't had a set of spark plugs since 2018, although she hadn't done many miles since they were changed 6 years ago I started to notice a little corrosion on the plugs so I decided some preventative maintenance was the best thing to do & change them just to be on the safe side rather than leaving them & having them seizing to the head. She had standard NGK plugs which I'm generally not a huge fan of NGK plugs & with winter approaching I decided to upgrade slightly, I got Denso W20TT plugs which are twin tipped as I had a 20% code for eBay so they only cost me £9.60 delivered. Fitted them this morning, it's a little fiddly on the Seicento with wiring etc but I took my time as I didn't want to cross thread them & got them done then went for a drive which was a success, she's running a lot better
After working at a Mazda Dealership in the 1970s I have never used anything else but NGK and been thoroughly satisfied, even for diesel heater plugs.
I think the NGK bit stems from when I ran Mini's as daily drivers, I was just always a little underwhelmed with them, in the end with Mini's I always ran Champion plugs as they always seemed to perform better, with Fiat's I found Denso twin tip seems to be the best
I've heard this too, I believe it's anything 10 years or older. I've also heard that if any airbags deploy they instantly write them off regardless of age as they are quite costly to replace. My sister's 19 reg Golf R (such a boring car to drive
Seem to remember though it may have active suspension...also it will definitely be all wheel drive and have full independent rear.
So moving the wheel forwards may mean a bent subframe and the likelihood of driveline damage.
The wheel price is daylight robbery...but hey you buy VW group products that's kinda what you're signing up for. You could probably get one on eBay for half the price but obviously insurance won't put that on.
Who knows perhaps these things are taken into account when they quote for insurance...(Spoiler alert parts prices and average claim costs absolutely are...so if you have a company where they charge and arm and a leg for parts and they take forever to send them meaning the customer is in a hire car longer the quotes go up).
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To be fair, the Diamond Cut on my punto was @£600 4 years ago,
(Before EVERYTHING doubled in price..)
it got stolen, but still wasn't worth an insurance claim..
That's exactly what I said to her as she's always moaning about the price of parts & servicing, I usually just sit there all smug & go "well should have got a Fiat"
it really winds her up 
I'm watching "a sense of freedom" on one of the on demand channels just now. It's a docudrama about Jimmy Boyle - one of our most notorious gangsters from the '60s. Not far into the film and they've just walked past a Polski Fiat showroom! Had to go back and replay it. - For those who don't know I once, very briefly, sold Polski Fiats, a decided low point in my professional career!
To think, I thought working as a foreman at a Moskvich Dealership was low, but I never tried to sell one.
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Car is squared away...
Weirdly excited...it's still an Auris but at the same time it's the first car I've bought in 10 years.
Just waiting on it to be undersealed and rear parking sensors to go on.
Phoned Toyota yesterday.. due to previous owner getting it serviced at a main agent it's still in Manufacturer warranty until May. Insurance is sorted still can't believe how cheap it is.
Hopefully all will be well, way I'm looking at is if it lasts 3 years it's saved me about 4k on leasing a similar new car which we'd then probably have to pay damage and cleaning charges for at the end and have nothing to show for it.
However if it lasts like a Toyota...then it could be a very cheap family hack.
Weirdly excited...it's still an Auris but at the same time it's the first car I've bought in 10 years.
Just waiting on it to be undersealed and rear parking sensors to go on.
Phoned Toyota yesterday.. due to previous owner getting it serviced at a main agent it's still in Manufacturer warranty until May. Insurance is sorted still can't believe how cheap it is.
Hopefully all will be well, way I'm looking at is if it lasts 3 years it's saved me about 4k on leasing a similar new car which we'd then probably have to pay damage and cleaning charges for at the end and have nothing to show for it.
However if it lasts like a Toyota...then it could be a very cheap family hack.
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
Cheap..... whats wrong with it...... LOL
It being a Toyota Estate mainly I think, also wrong engine and gearbox for the mini cab market.
Just deeply unfashionable and not particularly desirable...it's about average price for one of them but the average is significantly lower than say a Seat Leon estate.
Maybe it's like the car a customer of mine bought from a Dealer many years ago, "one little old lady owner her name was Avis,,, Avis Hertz.
Joking apart , you have done all the due diligence so I am sure it will be fine.
By the way the car I had in mind was from a Renault Dealership and it was Godfrey Davis.
Sadly not the only one, as more recently a "lovely lady car sales person" at a national well known brand selling Hyundai tried exactly the same and failed at the last post so my old customer then went for new Toyota's instead, so she missed out on selling three cars to them plus long term repeat business!!!
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Maybe it's like the car a customer of mine bought from a Dealer many years ago, "one little old lady owner her name was Avis,,, Avis Hertz.
Joking apart , you have done all the due diligence so I am sure it will be fine.
By the way the car I had in mind was from a Renault Dealership and it was Godfrey Davis.
Sadly not the only one, as more recently a "lovely lady car sales person" at a national well known brand selling Hyundai tried exactly the same and failed at the last post so my old customer then went for new Toyota's instead, so she missed out on selling three cars to them plus long term repeat business!!!
I hope so you can never be sure but it seems legit.
It's had 2 owners both of which got it serviced at the same Toyota main dealer in Melrose so it's probably not moved around much in its life.
Although it was registered down South being on an FH plate.
spidermania
Banned
Received a call early evening yesterday from the dealer I bought the spider from that they had received a clear title from out of state on the car and where sending all the paper work off today to my county treasures office so I can get the car registered, tagged and get my plates after they notify me to come in. I'm thinking by next week the 124 will be wearing some plates. I hope I get our new states plates that are coming out in November for 2025.
Note: I have to do one more security inspection at city hall by the Sheriffs dept. to verify the VIN #.
(they run it to make sure it's not stolen when a vehicle is coming in from another state)
But they are in the same building as the county treasures office is so I can get it all done at the same time.
Note: I have to do one more security inspection at city hall by the Sheriffs dept. to verify the VIN #.
(they run it to make sure it's not stolen when a vehicle is coming in from another state)
But they are in the same building as the county treasures office is so I can get it all done at the same time.
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The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
At kinlast. Daughters house has gone through so she has her first house. Just why not before the rain started I would like to ask! Especially as the roof leaks like a sieve. New roof £13K.... Anyway at least we can now get on with it. Im seeing a contractor on site at 16:30 so hopefully within the next 14 dry days we may get the work underway. - He didnt turn up.... Try again tomorrow. At least it now has new locks so we are off!
20 massive trailer loads of hedge "trimmings" removed thus far. Leylandii should be banned! My big chainsaw is kaput until the battery is repaired so some of the stumps will have to wait. At least now you can get to, the leaking garage and it's doors been repaired so we can get inside as well.
The cost of things compared with 5 years ago when I did the other daughters house is totally frightening at leat 3 times more on everything I have looked at. Still its all OK because Lizz Truss's idiocy only lost 30% of my pension fund in 3 days so moneys no problem...... looks like I am possibly going to become a roofer. Nah lets get real I am too old and stiff for that now. S0 I shall have to forego 26000 mars bars instead.
At least we are better off than my neighbours. They had the rendering taken off their gable wall, opposite my front door a few weeks back. "Work will start Thursday to rebuild the wall" That was a wet month ago. And their wall is one of the worst decayed and structurally worrying sights I have ever seen on any structure. You could remove bricks with your fingers and there are holes you can insert and arm in (if you were mad enough). The front back and walls are not connected anymore to the end so it is going to be costly to repair..
20 massive trailer loads of hedge "trimmings" removed thus far. Leylandii should be banned! My big chainsaw is kaput until the battery is repaired so some of the stumps will have to wait. At least now you can get to, the leaking garage and it's doors been repaired so we can get inside as well.
The cost of things compared with 5 years ago when I did the other daughters house is totally frightening at leat 3 times more on everything I have looked at. Still its all OK because Lizz Truss's idiocy only lost 30% of my pension fund in 3 days so moneys no problem...... looks like I am possibly going to become a roofer. Nah lets get real I am too old and stiff for that now. S0 I shall have to forego 26000 mars bars instead.
At least we are better off than my neighbours. They had the rendering taken off their gable wall, opposite my front door a few weeks back. "Work will start Thursday to rebuild the wall" That was a wet month ago. And their wall is one of the worst decayed and structurally worrying sights I have ever seen on any structure. You could remove bricks with your fingers and there are holes you can insert and arm in (if you were mad enough). The front back and walls are not connected anymore to the end so it is going to be costly to repair..
Lots of people retire to the border towns. Maybe that's how it's ended up in Melrose? Going to be down there tomorrow doing some more clearing out of my brother's house and meeting a chap who says he's interested in buying it. That would be good if I could arrange a private sale.
The Panda Nut
Nutty about Pandas Infected by Panda virus and OPD
They have you over a barrel with fancy alloys. Cheaper to get a whole new set and flog the other three to offset the cost. Back in 2014 a spare alloy for my Bravo was £320 plus the tax. Panda wheels were £135 but now they have spiralled out of control and i believ £250 is nearer the mark.I've heard this too, I believe it's anything 10 years or older. I've also heard that if any airbags deploy they instantly write them off regardless of age as they are quite costly to replace. My sister's 19 reg Golf R (such a boring car to drive
